Destruction of submarines.



J. A. STEINMETZ. DESTRUCTION 0F SUBMARINES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, I915.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917,

HEET I.

2 SHEETS-S J. A. STEINMETZ. DESTRUCTION OF'SUBMABINES. APPHCATION FILED JUNE 25,1915- 1,218,586. Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNTED' s'r'rns ram JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

DESTItUCTION OF SUBMARINES.

Application filed June 25, 1915. Serial No. 36,180.

Submarine boats when not' submerged have been destroyed by gun fire and have been rammed even when, at the moment of impact, slightly below the surface of the water, but when at the depth to which they sink if in danger, they have been absolutely safe except in case of chance contact with a mine. At such depth and at moderate speed their movements could not be followed by ordinary vessels, and in general the disappearance of the periscope has meant vanishing of traces of the submarine. The conse- .quence has been that practically there was no security for any vessel, not inside a mine field, except through speedy flight from the vicinity of the submarine. It has recently been found that a submarine at ordinary depth, although invisible to floating craft,- may be seen, although the water be rough, as a dark recognizable shape, from an aircraft even many hundreds of feet directly above, and may even be photographed therefrom. It has not been possible, however, both submarine and aircraft being in motion, to

injure such submarine after discovering it. This invention seeks to provide means for destroying such submarine. The method employed is to provide a high speed flying craft, or preferably a plurality of such craft acting in concert with one or more hydroplanes, motor boats, or flying boats upon the water. I prefer, however, to use a plurality of high speed flying boats, any of which may serve as aerial craft or as a boat on the waters surface. Such craft circling about in the air over a war zone sea area, will probably discover any lurking submarine even if it remain entirely submerged, and on its discovery will signal the fact to the other cooperating craft, some of which movingupon the surface of the water endeavor to A. STEINMETZ,

bomb which would deflect a boat flying in the air has no appreciable effect on the boat supported on the Water except to retard its advance or make increased driving force necessary. It is further to be noted that a boat resting on the water readily skids at a speed far higher than that possible to the submarine, and that the speed of flying boats or other craft in the air is commonly several times the best speed of any submerged craft.

In the accompanying diagrammatic drawings,

Figure 1 represents a recent type of flying boat in the air.

Fig. 2 shows a like boat advancing upon the water, above a submarine boat and trail-. ing a contact bomb.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one form of a contact bomb provided with devices for keeping it submerged.

Fig. & is a side View of the devices of Fig.

Fig. 5 shows a slightly different arrangement of the bomb and connected device.

Fig. (3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a slight modification.

Fig. 7 is an analogous view showing a further modification.

In these views, A represents a hydroplane, in flight, from which a bomb B is suspended by a cable C of variable length, and A a like flying boat moving on the water above a submarine at some distance below the waters surface.- the cable C being paid out so Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

counteracted by securing to the bomb or to the cable near the bomb a forwardly and downwardly inclined plate F, suitable rods ,or wires E being employed to hold it in proper position. The bomb is provided with contacts G which cause explosion when striking any strong resistance, 0. 9., a submarine. The downwardly inclined plate may be attached to the bomb or lie in its plane as shown in Figs. 3, 4, where the plate is designated by F, and to avoid oscillatlon 1n the water it is preferably curved transversely to its direction of movement as indicated in those figures.

Fig. 5 illustrates placing a plate F below the bomb and curving it upwardly instead of downwardly as in Figs. 3, 4-.

Fig. 6 shows a bomb B attached to the trailing cable, at some distance above the depressing device F by a cable H having a torpedo or bomb M having at its forward end a detonating device N actuated by a rearward push, and at'its rear end a projecting rod provided with downwardly projecting inclined members 0 adapted to engage any body e. 9., a submarine D below the torpedo and by a pull on the rod to cause explosion.

It is obvious that a single flying boat may serve as both scout and destroyer, first circling. above the water and on the discovery of a submarine descending and as a skidding boat trying to engage the submarine with the trailing-bomb. Two or more such boats acting in concert, however, have decided advantages over a single boat.

What I claim is: p

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a flying boat of a. bomb suspended at some distance below the boat by a suitable cable, and a forwardly and downwardly inclined open tube connected with the bomb and arranged to be pressed downward by the action of the water when it is drawn rapidly through the water.

2. For destroying submarine craf the combination with a flying boat support on the water, of a contact bomb suspended in the water at a predetermined distance below the boat, and a downwardly and forwardly inclined member carried by the cable in the vicinity of the bomb and adapted to resist the tendency of the bomb to rise when advancing at high speed.

In testimony whereof I JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ.

afiix my signature. 

